Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • Yellow Crocus

  • Yellow Crocus, Book 1
  • By: Laila Ibrahim
  • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
  • Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (1,436 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Yellow Crocus cover art

Yellow Crocus

By: Laila Ibrahim
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £19.00

Buy Now for £19.00

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

That Bonesetter Woman cover art
Paper Wife cover art
Romancing Olive cover art
Fireflies cover art
Train Station Bride: Prairie Romance cover art
The Secrets of Heavenly cover art
Sister of Mine cover art
Vivid cover art
The Pecan Man cover art
Abby: Mail Order Bride cover art
Destiny's Surrender cover art
The Color of the Soul cover art
The Color of Our Sky cover art
The House of Closed Doors cover art
A Slave of the Shadows cover art
The Kite Runner cover art

Summary

Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father. As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters - and their lively and loving community - bring them closer together than ever. But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity.

Revised edition: This edition of Yellow Crocus includes editorial revisions.

©2014 by Laila Ibrahim. (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

What listeners say about Yellow Crocus

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,155
  • 4 Stars
    232
  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,133
  • 4 Stars
    121
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,010
  • 4 Stars
    206
  • 3 Stars
    47
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic, loved it!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! A great story, perfectly narrated.

What other book might you compare Yellow Crocus to, and why?

The Help.

Any additional comments?

I found this to be a fabulous novel. I'm amazed to discover that no agent would take it on because they believed there would be no market for a story! It was published by the author herself in the end. Its a fantastic portrayal of an enslaved black woman and a privileged white woman, from when they were wet nurse and baby, then spanning over 22 years. The writing was beautiful, transporting me in time and place until I felt like I was right there with them, watching from the sidelines. All of the characters were so well drawn and I loved how the story naturally evolved into two parts - Maddie's narrative, followed by Lisbeth's. I also found the ending to be perfect.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A relationship transcending race, colour & creed

It is quite rare for me to read and enjoy a book that is character rather than plot driven but this one is an exception to the rule. The novel centres on the relationship between Lisbeth, eldest child of white plantation owners and Mattie, her black wet nurse, a relationship that transcends race, colour, creed and age. There are many occasions when their love and respect for each other is obvious and although helpless to change Mattie’s slave status Lisbeth neither views her nor treats her as a slave.

The fact that Mattie is able to wet nurse Lisbeth shows that she has been torn away from her own child, a boy that she only permitted to see weekly. There is a very sad episode where she struggles to breastfeed him because he hasn’t bonded with her. Despite this Mattie doesn’t resent Lisbeth for the enforced separation.

This is a beautifully written book, very easy to read and very difficult to put down. It doesn’t shy away from horrors of slavery but it also tells of the courage and strength of both the leading ladies who ultimately want to escape from an unacceptable lifestyle and enter a world where all humans are treated equally.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

37 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

impulse purchase

Impulse but well worth it, lovely book slightly slow but not a problem.
The accent of young Lisbeth was a bit grating but thats my only moan.
No tears but I really enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

New Author

Really enjoyed this audiobook. Easy to listen to in small parts while out walking or on longer drives.
I have not read/listened to Laila Ibrahim before but will look out for further works by her.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this book

I listened to it in one go. Couldn't put it down. The gentle lilting accents of the narrator, the detailed description and observations of 19th century life in Virginia - for both slaves and white folks. It took me into a fascinating world that stayed with me long after the book was finished. Highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

Yellow Crocus is a moving and absorbing story, one I couldn't put down. I was transformed to a different time, a world very unfamiliar to me. I hope to discover more by the same author and narrator. Wonderful!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Gentle Deep South Slave story

If you enjoyed the Help you will like this.

It was a gentle tale of Mattie the black wet nurse who had to almost give up on her own son to breast feed and take care of the new born white baby miss Elizabeth.

The story is about their intertwined lives and the sacrifices they both made to get the life they wanted without forgetting each other.

Some of the descriptions of childbirth and breastfeeding were so passionately written it took me back with fond memories.

Definitely a female orientated book, and I really enjoyed this true story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

yellow crocus

yellow crocus was an excellent book really enjoyed it especially on audio version worth a listen

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Yellow Crocus

Riveting from start to finish. A true love story spanning many years between a nurse and her charge

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

simply lovely

a wonderful story set against some difficult times in our history. well worth a read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful